Fire-extinguisher.



PATENTBD Nov. 17, 190s.

w.- J. FRY. HRB BXTINGUISHBR. APLIATIN FILED APR. 14,'1902.

'N0 MODEL.

Vi Y

i l M tro. 744,061.

` PATENT Patented November 17, 1903.

orion.

WILLIAM J. FRY, OFV CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-ExTiNcUisi-ice. 7

SFEGIFICATION forming part of Lettersrlatent No. 744,061, dated November 17, 1903. Application filed April 14, 1902.l Serial No. 102,723. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may oon/cern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. FRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, i n the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fire-Extinguishers,of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to a tire-extinguisher, and has forits object to provide au improved device which will act automatically under the influence of heat to distribute a tire-extinguishing compound at the base of the llames and throughout a comparatively extensive surrounding space. The compound which I prefer to employ is in the'form of a powder and is well known in the art, the present invention relating simply to the apparatus for automatically scattering or distributing it when a fire occurs.

I provide a globe or container, preferably of paper or papier-mch, in which a suitable quantity of the powder or compound is packed, with an explosive, such as va small piece of dynamite, iu the center. The extinguisher is normally supported near the ceiling of the room, to be protected by a device which when subjected to heat'will operate to release said extinguisher and permit the same to drop, and means are provided for automatically tiring the explosive after the extinguisher has fallen. The reason for delaying the explosiou until the extinguisher has fallen -is that, as I have discovered, the efficiency of the compound is very greatly increased when the compound is applied to the base of the llame. The active agent in extinguishing ire is the gas which is liberated or produced from the powder, and the draft lproduced by a lire is usually so great that the liberation of this gas at the top of the flame would have but,

ferred form is a fuse anda percussion igniter arranged to be automatically lighted in the fall of the extinguisher.

My in vention will be particularly described and further features thereof set forth by referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred embodiment.

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of luy fire-extinguisher. Fig. 2 is adetail sectional view illustrating how the globe is automatic ally released under the influence of heat. Fig. 3 is a detail crosssectional view of the igniting device.

The same letters of reference are used to designate the same parts wherever they are shown.

The globe or container a, which is preferably of paper or papier-mache, is suspended by a coiled spring b from a suitable hook in the ceiling of the room to be protected and is filled with the powder or compound o, which may be lany of those now well known, as may be desired. In the center of the globe is packed a suitable quantity of explosive ocas, for example, dynamite of low gradeywhich when exploded will shatter the globe and throw the powder violently in all directions, instantly extinguishing any blaze in the vicinity. The spring b is of insufcient 'strength of itself tohold the globe in an elevated position; but the spring is normally held contracted by bands of metal CZ d, each of which is4 made in two parts soldered together by an easily-fusible alloy which lwill melt at a low temperature-say 150 Fahrenheit. .As soon as this temperature is reached, as in case of. fire, the bands ddwill separate, due to the melting or softening of the solder, and will no longer act to confine the spring and support the globe, and the latter being released will fall for a considerable distance, dependent upon the length and stiffness of the spring. The spring acts to check the fall and sustain the globe, so that it is not broken, but simply dropped to an effective distance. A fuse e is provided equipped with a detonating-cap e at one end, which is disposed in or near the dynamite, and a ful- IOO minate or igniter e2 at the other end. Afriction ring-pin fis arranged to slide in aframe g, and the end of the fuse which has the fulininate is disposed in position to be rubbed by a suitably-prepared surface f on said pin. A spring h may be adjusted to press the pin against the side of the frame in which the fulminate is fixed. The pin fis fastened to a short wire 7c, which is suspended from the hook which carries the spring b, so that when the globe is released and falls the firing-pin will be pulled sharply through the frame or guide g, the surface thereof rubbing the fulminate e2, and so igniting the fuse. The latter will burn until finally the detouating-cap explodes and the dynamite with it, the globe, which has fallen to the limit of the spring h, being shattered and the powder c distributed to extinguish any neighboring fire, as before described. I prefer to make the fulminate e2 and the striking-surfacef of the firing-pin of special materials, so that the fulminate cannot be ignited by mere friction, but must be rubbed by the specialchemically-prepared surfacefl of the tiring-pin. The material of the fulminate can be the same,forexample,as that commonly used for safety-matches, and the surface f' of the firing-pin may be coated with the corresponding substance, such as is ordinarily pnt on the sides of match-boxes.

I am aware that it has been proposed heretofore to scatter or distribute tire-extinguishing compound by means of an explosive; but the apparatus heretofore provided for this purpose has been objectionable in that the vessels containing the compound have been made of glass. With such a structure when an explosion occurs the glass is thrown violently in all directions, cutting Iand injuring the surrounding objects. Such a device is extremely dangerous to life and property. I have discovered, however, that by making the container -of paper, papier-mache, or the like and using a fireextinguishing coinpound in the form of a dry powder packed around the explosive, which is centrally located therein, the powder will be eifectively scattered by an explosion, but withoutinjury to surrounding objects or damage to persons who may be near.

I therefore claiml. The combination with an explosive lireextinguisher, of a support adaptedto hold the said extinguisher normally in an elevated position, said support being adapted, when heated, to release the extinguisher and permit the same to fall, a spring arranged to sustain the extinguisher in its fall and means for exploding the extinguisher after its fall.

2. In a fire-extinguisher, the combination With the container a and extinguishing compound c therein, of an explosive arranged to scatter said compound when fired, a fuse for firing the explosive, a support for the container adapted to release the same under the influence of heat, to permit the container to fall, and an igniting device for lighting the fuse, actuated in the fall of the container.

3. The combination with an explosive fireextinguisher, of a coiled spring suspending the same, the tension of said spring being insufficient to maintain its contracted position under the Weight of the extinguisher, a support d normally sustaining the extinguisher, but adapted to separate when subjected to heat, whereby the extinguisher is released and falls,the fall being checked by the spring, and lneans for exploding the extinguisher after its fall.

4f. The combination with the container a, and the powder c therein, of the explosive x, the fuse e and an igniting device for said fuse comprising a safety-fulminate e2 and a rubber therefor having a special coatingf adapted to unite chemically with said fulminate to ignite the same.

5. The combination with the container a and the powder c therein, of a coiled spring b suspending the container from a suitable support, a band d normally confining the spring to hold the container in an elevated position, said band being adapted to separate when heated, to permit the container to fall, the explosive x, a fuse e for firing said explosive, the igniting device having the firing-pin 9 fslidably mounted in the framework thereof, a fnlminate arranged to be rubbed by said tiring-pin when the same is withdrawn, to light the fuse, and a wire 7s carrying the firing-pin and fastened to the support from which the container is suspended, whereby the firing-pin is withdrawn to light the fuse when the container falls.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 11th day of April, A. D. 1902.

WILLIAM J. FRY.

Witnesses:

DE WITT C. TANNER, MATT S. THORNTON.

IOO 

